Labor Day, that holiday celebrating the American worker, is upon us. While most folks are having one last summer barbecue, you might just be in the market for a new car, truck or SUV. Â And what better way to celebrate American labor than to buy a new vehicle?
The good folks over at Cars.com have put together their annual American Made Index. By taking into consideration engine and transmission sourcing, factory location and employment and domestic-parts content, Cars.com has compiled a list of what it says are the "most American-made" vehicles for the 2018 model year.
Here are their findings:
Rank | Vehicle | Location |
1 | Jeep Cherokee | Belvidere, Illinois |
2 | Honda Odyssey | Lincoln, Alabama |
3 | Honda Ridgeline | Lincoln, Alabama |
4 | Ford Taurus | Chicago, Illinois |
5 | Chevrolet Volt | Detroit, Michigan |
6 | Honda Pilot | Lincoln, Alabama |
7 | Acura MDX (non-Sport Hybrid) | East Liberty, Ohio |
8 | Ford Explorer | Chicago, Illinois |
9 | Ford F-150 | Claycomo, Missouri and Dearborn, Michigan |
10 | Chevrolet Corvette | Bowling Green, Kentucky |
"Cars.com analyzed more than 100 US-built vehicles to arrive at the top 10. We looked at which cars are manufactured in America, have the most American parts, and support the most American factory jobs," said Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com's executive editor.
It's important to note that for the purposes of Cars.com's findings, "American made" does not necessarily mean that these vehicles come from an American brand. While Jeep is thought of as quintessentially American, these days, it's a division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, an Italian-owned company headquartered in the Netherlands and London. Meanwhile, Honda and Acura are both Japanese brands.
A recent survey conducted by Cars.com found that 19 percent of respondents think it's unpatriotic to buy cars not made in America, while 28 percent would only consider buying an American-made vehicle. Further, a robust 82 percent of respondents think that buying an American-made vehicle helps create US jobs.